IDF the Post Script & Being Churlish

This is a follow-up to my last post about IDF telling people type 1 diabetes could be managed through a healthy diet.

So the good news is that after a number of emails to the executive and staff of the International Diabetes Federation and posts on IDF’s Facebook page and twitter feed, we received an email that said amongst other things,

“We recognise that the wording of our type 1 message does not convey this intention accurately and so we have ceased promoting it and have removed the visual displaying the message from all our channels and materials. “

Kudos to them for listening and changing the text. I know I’m being churlish in light of the fact that they have amended the text but I am still shaking my head that an organisation such as IDF could produce such a message in the first place and that they could launch it and show it at a fringe event of the World Health Organisation and NOBODY questioned the accuracy of the message. I mean, what’s with that? Look at the list of people who attended the launch event where the visual was shown and not one of them said a thing. It takes a few Australians to say “hang on your message isn’t saying what you think it is”. The lack of response to such a blatantly misleading message makes me wonder if there’s any point in awareness campaigns. Do they just wash over people who look at them uncomprehendingly? It seems so.

Here’s the list of people who attended the launch of the ad where they were told type 1 diabetes could be managed through a healthy diet.